7/10/09 Cardinals(Carpenter) @ Cubs (Harden) 1:20 PM WGN

[Careless]

Rich Harden 2-2. Can he play 2B?

He's fast and has an arm, move him to SS

[A-Cal]

Hey if Harden can't pitch and with his speed, can't we make him a SS or 2B?

 

it surely would be entertaining to watch him make kick saves at short

[illiniguy]

Please get him out.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'll never understand why people put half a garden on their hot dogs. Mustard and onions only please.

 

Because hot dogs are disgusting and you need to mask the taste, and ketchup makes almost anything taste better.

[PrimeTime]

Of course

[illiniguy]

unreal.

[Fred Hornkohl]

Pujols homered to center field

[Butterscup1679666578]

shouldve walked him.

[Drew Doughty]

fu pujols

[Careless]

stupid basket

[A-Cal]

Pujols really is God

 

Eat your heart out Braun

[genbar]

Don't even pitch to him, man.

[E.J.]

Seriously, why? Why pitch to him at all? So stupid.

[NotSoSober]

What's the point of pitching to him?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Pitch to him two more times, maybe he'll slow down and settle for the cycle.

[Hall7810]

Yeah Len, that's it

[moorecg]

Seriously...why do you EVER pitch to him....stupid stupid stupid...

[salukifudd]

Why would you even pitch to him?

[Little Slide Rooter]

If Im a manager, I fine my pitchers for pitching to Pujols. Seriously, why?

[Sammy Sofa]

Pujols is glorious.

[CubColtPacer]

Looking at next year's FA list, Harden is probably the best SP option out there. I wouldn't mind resigning him if we fall out of contention and then shut him down and make him have surgery.

I like Harden, but that's crazy talk. With as many holes as this team has, the Cubs can no longer afford to take that risk.

 

What holes can they actually fill?

 

Soriano isn't going anywhere. There's your LF.

It's about a 100% guarantee that one of Fukudome/Johnson will be in CF next year. 99% chance that it's both again.

Bradley will be in RF again.

Ramirez at third, Lee at first.

Theriot will either be at short or second, with one of the spots needing to be filled via FA because they can't go with Fontenot again.

Catcher is set.

 

Starting pitchers: Z, Lilly, Dempster for sure. Probably one of Wells/Marshall, and then you need a fifth. I doubt they go with both Marshall and Wells in the rotation (and one of them will probably be traded).

They'll add some bullpen arms, but not many.

 

We may have a lot of holes, but contracts make it so we don't have much leeway to do anything. And it's not like we have a good farm system.

 

As you said, probably either second base or the bullpen. They don't have very much money to spend this offseason. And it might be in the Cubs best interest to pocket the money and wait to become major players after 2010.

 

The farm system still isn't great position player wise, but it's starting to have lots of quality pitching. The Cubs will have several options next year if they want to go that route. Samardzija, Marshall, or quite possibly Coleman at the start of the year (Coleman will never be a great pitcher but could already be close to major league ready) with possibly either Jackson or even Cashner later in the year, although the Cubs might not want to rush those two with their upsides.

[hawkeyecub]

We're at least hitting Carpenter hard up and down.

 

Damnit Rich would you stop throwing [expletive] shots?

[Hall7810]

stupid basket

 

Banks BLVD!

[big_shooter17]

I like how he admired a pitch that scraped the back side of the basket.

[illiniguy]

I like how he admired a pitch that scraped the back side of the basket.

I like how we've let their one hitter account for 3 of their 4 runs. really smart.